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The making of the Taj
Born out of an Emperor's obsession, the magnificent Taj stands today as one of the wonders of the world. Completely shattered by the sudden loss of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the fifth Moghul emperor, Shah Jahan, took to building a memorial that would not be easily erased from the memory of mankind. Named after the empress Mumtaz Mahal, the `Chosen one of the Palace,' the Taj took 14 years to build, using the labour of 20,000 workers, and cost five million rupees. Encapsulating the Moghul age, this book presents the love story of an emperor and the tales and legends behind the building of the Taj Mahal. The accounts are enhanced by some superb photo graphs of the monument and its surrounding.
Golden India - Taj Mahal
Ganesh Saili
Roli books, Rs. 325
Picturesque Bhutan
Long regarded as the Forbidden Land, Bhutan or Druk Yul, the Lad of the Thunder Dragon was virtually closed to the outside world until the 1960s. Even today, little is known about this remote Himalayan Buddhist kingdom nestled between two giant neighbours, India and China. Often described as the last Shangri La, Bhutan is still a country of pristine forests, alpine valleys and glacial lakes, rich in rare flora and fauna such as the blue poppy, the golden langur and red panda. As spectacular as its natural beauty are the architecture of its towering dzongs (fortresses) and the art treasures that fill its monasteries and temples.
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck's portrait of her country is a captivating blend of personal memoir, history, folklore and travelogue. It provides unique and intimate insights into Bhutanese culture and society, with its vivid glimpses of life in Bhutan's villages and hamlets, monasteries and and palaces. Her engaging account of her childhood, growing up in a village in western Bhutan and the changes she witnessed when the country decided to end its isolation, also tells a larger story, that of Bhutan's rapid transition from a medieval kingdom to a modern nation within the space of a decade.
A portrait of Bhutan
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
Penguin, Rs. 495
Golden India - Taj Mahal
Ganesh Saili
Roli books, Rs. 325
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